This is Mizuno’s current version of their long distance trainer for neutral runners. I have been running in them now for two months, usually every other day.
Our running platform is constantly evolving. Muscles strengthen, tendons rearrange, mechanics change. I have been running in neutral shoes albeit with orthotics for the past 5 years. My latest adjustment in gait, slightly rotating my pelvis to push more of my stride behind my rear end, resulted in some good improvements. Well mostly good except for a lingering inflammation of a small tendon in my right ankle.
This tenderness in my ankle has become frustrating. Left hand turns and right side road running remained uncomfortable. I have tossed aside my orthotics, and the tenderness has reduced, but not fully retreated. I had to get this under control. The timing was perfect for a new pair of shoes, something conservative with a stable platform, something I knew would work for me. Enter the Mizuno Wave Rider 15’s, which were also my lottery pick for this year.
I have an old pair of Wave Rider 13’s that still have a few miles left in them. These shoes were my previous go-to trainers for marathon race day, long easy runs and tempo work. So versatile. So lightening fast in transition. And they would punish you, just a little, if you got lazy with your foot strike. There was not as much cushion under the forefoot. If your gait got heavy, you would know it. More than once I had to deal with tender tootsies after a long run. However, your feet don’t forget and quickly adjust for next time, making you a better lighter runner. I ran my current marathon PB of 2:50 in the Wave Rider 13.
By comparison, the Wave Rider 15 let you get away with murder. Mainly due to all the extra cushioning added almost everywhere. They are marketed toward heavier heal strikers. This was also the reason why I gave the Wave Rider 14 a pass when Mizuno first changed up the shoe construction. Many mechanical sins are easily forgiven in the Wave Rider 15, and the pilot is none the wiser for it. That is until you lace up some race flats and get reacquainted with just how hard the road surface truly is. Or take a spin on a treadmill. My strike had become so heavy the mill simply bounced up and down, not to mention side to side, like a 4.5 magnitude earthquake. I was setting off the seismometers at the Pickering Nuclear station.
It was time to get back to being light on my feet. After all, a 130 lb mid-foot striker should not be thumping around like he weighs 170. So I dusted off my old 13’s and also inserted my Mushas into my shoe rotation. My light form slowly returned. And the Wave Rider 15’s never felt better on the days I wore them. Whether it was for a snappy 10k, an easy 25k, even kick downs sub 4/k, the Wave Rider 15’s handled all of my general training needs. No complaints from me with the ride, fit or performance.
But let’s be clear. The difference between the old Wave Rider 13 and current version Wave Rider 15 is night and day. For a runner trying to improve their form , the 15 is a step in the wrong direction, especially if it is the only shoe you choose to run in. Minimalist advocates beware, the 15 is not your type of shoe.
This may still be rumour, but the next generation Wave Rider 16 is expected to return to Wave Rider 13 type of construction. If so, I will rejoice. However, if you are presently enjoying your Wave Rider 15’s, best to pick up a few pairs. They may not be around much longer.
As a Scotia Waterfront Marathon pacer sponsored by Brooks, I also do a lot of long runs in Brooks Ghost 3 (and now 4) models. The Wave Rider 15 is very close to the Ghost 4 in overall performance. If you run out of luck finding the Wave Rider 15’s, then consider the Brook’s Ghost 4 model as an alternative. Or wait for the Wave Rider 16’s. If they arrive as rumoured they will make you a better runner. On that note, with a nod to MacDougall’s Born to Run:
Run tall, run easy, run quietly, and fast will take care of itself, no matter the shoes on your feet, even none at all.
Buy them here: Mizuno Wave Rider 15
